Ernst & Haas Management Co Blog

[caption id="attachment_953" align="aligncenter" width="260" caption="Yesterday marked the first day of Spring, a season of fresh flowers and clean homes."][/caption] Yesterday marked the first day of Spring, which means the first day of blooming flowers, pastel colors, and of course, the daunting task of Spring cleaning. Although cleaning your home from top to bottom, corner to corner isn't an ideal way to spend any Saturday, starting the season off with a clean, organized home can be very refreshing. The key, however, is to enlist others to help. After all, the more hands, the better. Courtesy of www.womansday.com, here are some things you and your family can do to get your home spic-and-span and ready for Spring:

Bathroom

-Spray tub, shower, and sink with cleansers and let them sit.

-Wash cloth shower curtains - or wipe down plastic shower curtains - and replace shower curtain liners.

-Dust doors, doorframes, shelves, and cupboards.

-Shake out and wash rugs.

-Wipe down mirrors, countertops, toilet, tub, shower and sink.

-Sweep and mop floor.

Bedroom

-Pick up clothes and tidy up dressers and table tops.

-Flip and rotate mattresses, then change bed linens and fluff pillows.

-Wash curtains and wipe down blinds.

-Dust doors, doorframes, shelves, window sills, and furniture.

-Vacuum upholstery, lamp shades, rugs, carpet, and floor under and behind the bed.

-Sweep and mop floor.

Closets

-Organize items such as clothing and linen into categories (i.e. "work clothes" and "sheet sets").

-Donate old clothing and toys and discard broken toys.

-Purchase storage containers and label accordingly.

Living Room

-Dust doors, doorframes, items on the mantel, TV and electronics, and coffee/end tables.

-Vacuum corners, window sills, upholstery, lamp shades, and rugs/carpet.

-Wipe down windows, TV screen, and glass surfaces.

-Organize video games, DVDs, books, etc. Decide which one to donate or throw out.

-Sweep and mop floor.

Kitchen

-Dust doors, doorframes, cabinets, shelves, chairs and stools, window sills, lighting fixtures, and house plants.

-Vacuum vents and refrigerator coils.

-Wash dishes, stove top, toaster oven, microwave, garbage can, and windows.

-Defrost freezer, throw away unwanted leftovers, clean inside of freezer and refrigerator with baking soda solution, throw away expired products, group together like products, and wipe down outside of the refrigerator.

-Let cleaning products sit in the sink, and then wash and rinse.

-Remove all canned goods and spices from cabinets and pantry and wipe down. Toss expired items and replace lining if necessary.

-Separate junk from useful items in drawers, throw out unused recipes, store clipped recipes in a box or binder.

-Sweep and mop floor.

How to Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaner

This non-toxic all-purpose cleaner can be used to clean, disinfect, and deodorize a variety of surfaces including stovetops, appliances, and countertops.

All you need is 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, and a spray bottle.

Mix vinegar and water in spray bottle and use as needed.